Nishikori exits, Cilic books ATP finals spot with Paris Masters win

The top Asian star from Japan opened the match in style on Thursday, leading for the majority of the third-round encounter and nailing down the first set 6-0 in just 22 minutes, reports Xinhua news agency.

Tsonga, however, rebounded strongly by grabbing the break of serve in the second set to level the match.

Nishikori broke Tsonga at 4-3 in the deciding third set but the latter showed remarkable fighting spirit to save two match points and prevail 0-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3).

“We are here to give our best, so that first set didn’t go well for me. I made double faults, things like that, but it was because I want to do well,” Tsonga said. “But little by little, I was able to get settled. My confidence came back and I was able to play better.”

The 11th-seeded Frenchman will next play fourth seed Milos Raonic, who overcame No. 16 seed Pablo Cuevas of Uruguay earlier in the day, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.

Tsonga also keeps his hopes alive of qualifying for the ATP World Tour Finals alongside Austrian Dominic Thiem and Czech Tomas Berdych.

Earlier on Thursday, Marin Cilic claimed a straight-sets win over David Goffin to lock down a London berth, leaving just one spot up for grabs.

The world No. 10 Croatian, who will lead his nation against Argentina in the Davis Cup final in Zagreb at the end of this month, needed six match points before seeing off the Belgian 6-3, 7-6 (9).

“That was the goal of the season for me, to reach the Tour finals in London,” said the Croatian after his last 16 win.

“Obviously top 8 in the world, that’s something all the players in the world are wishing for. It’s one of the best tournaments in the world, for sure, to battle it out with best ones in the world in that kind of a format,” he added.